Villa Wagner II, Vienna, Austria; 1912-13; Early 20th Century Pioneers

Villa Wagner II, Vienna, Austria; 1912-13; Early 20th Century Pioneers

The Villas were designed and constructed by modernist architect, Otto Wagner in Hüttelbergstraße 26, district fourteen of Vienna, lower eastern Austria. This heavily wooded outskirts of the Alps, also known as Penzing, is the home of both Villas, which happen to occupy adjacent lots. The second Villa was constructed a few decades later, between 1912 to 1913. As we investigate how both Villa Wagner I and II were constructed and detailed, we can guess approximately that towards the end of the 19th century there was a shift to Otto Wagner and how he executed his characteristics in architecture. Both structures introduced clear examples of the Belle period, which lasted from 1871 to 1914 (Unknown, "Wagner Villa I and II"). The second building demonstrates a Jugendstil style, also known as Art Nouveau, which is known for its natural forms. It is also recognized as an artistic style that specifically focuses on the curvature of plant life.
By 1905, Otto Wagner had already begun the thought process of the design, but he did not begin construction until 1912. The building process took about a year time frame before it was completed. Villa Wagner II, is known for making a rather more assertive proclamation of the modernist architect's style. The second villa is recognized as a late secession, possessing cubic elements, that include sharp clean linearity and geometric volumes.

The structure was built on foundations of steel and reinforced concrete, which was beginning to flourish in the early 20th century. Around this time period, this system of structural materials was recognized as modernistic and revolutionary. Other examples of materials used include aluminum rivets, which had also been used in other historical precedents to include the Austrian Postal Savings Bank in 1903. The massive free block is wrapped with an uninterrupted rhythm of windows on the façade proceeds towards the gateway, where basic linear forms shift their focus to imply shifting space. Unlike the adjacent building, Wagner ensures to emphasize the use of linear regularity on the front of this Villa (Unknown, "Wagner Villa I and II"). He also makes it a point to demonstrate the unyielding progression of geometry. The facades were constructed asymmetrically with mostly tall, slender windows. The only protruding elements in the structure is a coffered cornice with a smaller scaled pergola on one side and a terrace resting above, structurally composed of four pillars. 

The eaves were designed to be over the top, covered with glazed tiles with a tendency of an exterior opening pattern that exhibits modernist styles (Cacao, "Inside Otto Wagner Villa and Ernst Fuchs Museum"). This choice of notion between both design characteristics dissolve softly with the use of soft blue and white colors of the Art Nouveau style ceramic tiles. The choice of details on the façade served the purpose to highlight the structure. The ornamented system on the exterior continues the same style throughout the interior of the Villa, with the employment of conceptual compositions and use of glass. The entryway area, designed beautifully by Austrian artist, Koloman Moser, consists of a well known mosaic glass above the doorway. 

        Cacao, Barbara. "Inside Otto Wagner Villa and Ernst Fuchs Museum." Vienna Unwrapped. https://www.vienna-unwrapped.com/otto-wagner-villa/

              Author, Unknown. "Wagner Villa I and II." Wikiarquitectura. https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/wagner-villa-i-and-ii/

               Widder, Lynette & Oechlin, Werner. Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, and the Road to Modern Architecture. Cambridge University Press. July, 01, 2002.